Perry Ellis International (PEI) is launching Pitch to Pery, an angel investor-backed program designed to source the next innovative startup that will revolutionize the fashion, e-commerce and retail industries.

The Japanese designer presented a rather avant-garde collection for Haute Couture in Paris, in which certain pieces were available to buy after the show, ready to be custom-made in a showroom using new technologies.

After missing the critical holiday shopping season, Apple Inc has jumped into the voice speaker wars with the HomePod smart speaker, a device that will compete against offerings from Amazon.com and Google.

Coty has launched an on-demand digital personal beauty assistant for the Amazon Echo Show in the UK. Digital innovation with a focus on voice and virtual assistants to be central to company's future strategy

On 11 January, Dutch department store chain de Bijenkorf announced that it is closing its Woerden-based distribution center. De Bijenkorf plans to merge and outsource all distribution activities to a new partner in 2019.

Amazon will launch a Windows-compatible PC app for its Alexa digital assistant that will directly compete with Microsoft's Cortana. The Alexa app will operate on HP, Lenovo, Asus and Acer Windows 10 laptops and desktops.

China’s largest retailer and the social e-commerce firm Meili have launched a joint venture to bring innovative online features to shoppers and tools to businesses that want to reach consumers through social media.

Amazon has filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for its virtual reality mirror, offering a blended reality view to users for "entertainment and other purposes" including trying on clothes.